Agenda item

Councillor Fielding MOVED and Councillor Shah SECONDED a report which set out a number of recommendations following a review of District Working. 

 

The District Executives were reviewed in the context of meaningful local democratic engagement, devolved decision making and support for elected members to secure local democratic engagement and strong leadership, considered how elected members could be supported in their role as democratic leaders and, in particular, at a place based level, reviewed the resources allocated to the districts and district working and gave consideration to district working in the context of the wider reform agenda, to ensure it operated in the most effective way to support elected members and deliver better outcomes for residents.

 

A series of consultations and workshops had been held as well as a desktop review. 

 

As part of the proposals it was recommended that elected member budgets be increased, role of the District Executive Chair be amended through the creation of a District Lead role which involved working closely with all elected members in their district to support them in their role as strong local leaders, encouraging and coordinating the contribution of all members across ward and District boundaries.  The proposals also included a member development programme which would ensure members had the skills and support needed, a review of how District Teams were connected into and supported by Council services, more effective ways of engaging with residents, a new casework system to improve management of casework and communication, and better tools and systematic partnerships to identify the area priorities and to plan effectively for more integrated working with partners.

 

Options/Alternatives

Option 1 – Continue with District Executives as currently constituted for 2019/20, revisiting the option to remove once multi-agency decision making teams are in place.

Option 2 – Dis-establish District Executives with immediate effect, including the attached revenue and capital budgets, establish the District Lead Role, increase elected member budgets to £6k, remove any unallocated revenue funding, totalling £225k and create a £500k Local Improvement Fund to support District priorities, reprioritising the remaining £752k in the capital programme.

 

Amendment 1:

 

Councillor Williamson MOVED and Councillor Harkness SECONDED the following AMENDMENT:

 

“Section 4 – Options/Alternatives

That Option/Alternative 1 be amended to read as follows:

‘1.       Continue with District Executive as currently constituted, with the attached revenue and capital budgets.

Remove any unallocated revenue, capital or elected member budgets from the 2018/19 financial year or previous finance years and claw these back into the central budget. 

Create a Local Improvement Fund.

Review the arrangements once the multi-agency decision making teams are in place and no later than September 2019.

Section 5 – Recommended Option –

That the recommended option be replaced with:

1. Continue with District Executive as currently constituted, with the attached revenue and capital budgets.

Remove any unallocated revenue, capital or elected member budgets from the 2018/19 financial year or previous finance years and claw these back into the central budget. 

Create a Local Improvement Fund.

Review the arrangements once the multi-agency decision making teams are in place and no later than September 2019.”

 

Councillor Hamblett spoke in support of the Amendment.

Councillor Roberts spoke against the Amendment.

Councillor Hobin spoke in support of the Amendment.

Councillor Jabbar spoke against the Amendment.

Councillor C. Gloster spoke in support of the Amendment.

 

Councillor Fielding exercised his right of reply.

Councillor Williamson exercised her right of reply.

 

On being put to the vote, 12 votes were cast in FAVOUR of the AMENDMENT and 43 votes were cast AGAINST with no abstentions.  The AMENDMENT was therefore LOST.

 

Amendment 2:

 

Councillor Sykes MOVED and Councillor H. Gloster SECONDED the following Amendment:

 

“That ‘Option/Alternative’ be amended to read as follows:

 

‘1.       Dis-establish District Executives with immediate effect, but retain the current revenue and capital budgets.

Establish the District Lead Role.

Remove any unallocated revenue, capital or elected member budgets from the 2018/19 financial year or previous financial years and claw these back into the central budget.

Create a Local Improvement Fund.

Review the current arrangements once the multi- agency decision making teams are in place or no later than September 2019.’

Section 5 – Recommended Option

That the recommended option be replaced with:

‘1.  Dis-establish District Executives with immediate effect, but retain the current revenue and capital budgets.

Establish the District Lead Role.

Remove any unallocated, capital or elected member budgets from the 2018/19 financial year or previous financial years and claw these back into the central budget.

Create a Local Improvement Fund.

Review the current arrangements once the multi-agency decision making teams are in place or no that than September 2019.’”

 

Councillor Fielding exercised his right of reply.

Councillor Sykes exercised his right of reply.

 

On being put to the vote, 11 votes were cast in FAVOUR of the AMENDMENT and 44 votes were cast AGAINST with no abstentions.  The AMENDMENT was therefore LOST.

 

Amendment 3:

 

Councillor Murphy MOVED and Councillor C. Gloster SECONDED the following AMENDMENT:

 

“Section 4 – Options/Alternatives

‘Insert at the end of ‘Option/Alternative 2’ a new sentence

‘Review the proposed arrangements once the multi-agency decision making teams are in place or no later than September 2019.’

Section 5 – Recommended Option

‘Insert at the end of ‘Option/Alternative 2’ a new sentence

‘Review the proposed arrangements once the multi-agency decision making teams are in place or no later than September 2019.’”

 

Councillor Murphy MOVED and Councillor C. Gloster SECONED that the AMENDMENT be put to a RECORDED VOTE.  The MOVE to a RECORDED VOTE was AGREED.

 

Councillor		Councillor
Ahmad	AGAINST	Hussain, A.	AGAINST
Akhtar	AGAINST	Hussain, F.	AGAINST
Al-Hamdani	FOR	Ibrahim	AGAINST
Ali	AGAINST	Iqbal	AGAINST
Alyas	AGAINST	Jabbar	AGAINST
Ball	AGAINST	Jacques	AGAINST
Bashforth, M.	AGAINST	Judd	AGAINST
Bashforth, S.	AGAINST	Larkin	ABSENT
Briggs	ABSENT	Leach	AGAINST
Brownridge	AGAINST	Malik	AGAINST
Byrne	FOR	McLaren	AGAINST
Chadderton	AGAINST	Moores	ABSENT
Chauhan	AGAINST	Murphy	FOR
Cosgrove	AGAINST	Mushtaq	AGAINST
Curley	ABSENT	Phythian	AGAINST
Davis	AGAINST	Price	AGAINST
Dean	AGAINST	Roberts	AGAINST
Fielding	AGAINST	Salamat	AGAINST
Garry	AGAINST	Shah	AGAINST
Gloster, C.	FOR	Sheldon	FOR
Gloster, H.	FOR	Shuttleworth	AGAINST
Goodwin	AGAINST	Stretton	AGAINST
Hamblett	FOR	Surjan	AGAINST
Haque	ABSENT	Sykes	FOR
Harkness	FOR	Taylor	AGAINST
Harrison	AGAINST	Toor	AGAINST
Hewitt	AGAINST	Ur-Rehman	AGAINST
Hobin	FOR	Williams	AGAINST
Hudson	FOR	Williamson	FOR
Hulme	AGAINST	Alexander	AGAINST

 

On being put to the VOTE, 12 votes were cast IN FAVOUR of the AMENDMENT and 43 votes were cast AGAINST with no ABSTENTIONS.  The AMENDMENT was therefore LOST.

 

Councillor Fielding did not exercise his right of reply.

 

Councillor Sykes MOVED and Councillor C. Gloster SECONDED that under Council Procedure 10.11g , the report be referred to the Overview and Scrutiny Board and the matter be put to a RECORDED VOTE.

 

Councillor		Councillor
Ahmad	AGAINST	Hussain, A.	AGAINST
Akhtar	AGAINST	Hussain, F.	AGAINST
Al-Hamdani	FOR	Ibrahim	AGAINST
Ali	AGAINST	Iqbal	AGAINST
Alyas	AGAINST	Jabbar	AGAINST
Ball	AGAINST	Jacques	AGAINST
Bashforth, M.	AGAINST	Judd	AGAINST
Bashforth, S.	AGAINST	Larkin	ABSENT
Briggs	ABSENT	Leach	AGAINST
Brownridge	AGAINST	Malik	AGAINST
Byrne	FOR	McLaren	AGAINST
Chadderton	AGAINST	Moores	ABSENT
Chauhan	AGAINST	Murphy	FOR
Cosgrove	AGAINST	Mushtaq	AGAINST
Curley	ABSENT	Phythian	AGAINST
Davis	AGAINST	Price	AGAINST
Dean	AGAINST	Roberts	AGAINST
Fielding	AGAINST	Salamat	AGAINST
Garry	AGAINST	Shah	AGAINST
Gloster, C.	FOR	Sheldon	FOR
Gloster, H.	FOR	Shuttleworth	AGAINST
Goodwin	AGAINST	Stretton	AGAINST
Hamblett	FOR	Surjan	AGAINST
Haque	ABSENT	Sykes	FOR
Harkness	FOR	Taylor	AGAINST
Harrison	AGAINST	Toor	AGAINST
Hewitt	AGAINST	Ur-Rehman	AGAINST
Hobin	FOR	Williams	AGAINST
Hudson	FOR	Williamson	FOR
Hulme	AGAINST	Alexander	AGAINST

 

On being put to the VOTE, 12 votes were cast IN FAVOUR of the REFERALL to Overview and Scrutiny Board and 43 votes were cast AGAINST with no ABSTENTIONS.  The REFERALL was therefore LOST.

 

A vote was then taken on the original report.

 

On being put to the VOTE, 43 votes were cast IN FAVOUR of the AMENDMENT and 12 votes were cast AGAINST with no ABSTENTIONS.  The original report was therefore CARRIED.

 

RESOLVED that:

 

1.       The District Executives be disestablished and a dedicated District Lead Elected Member role responsible for overall coordination of local activity and investment be established.

2.       Individual elected member budgets be increased from £5,000 to £6,000.

3.       A £500k Local Improvement Fund be created to support District priorities.